Cincinnati Mourns Football Star, Matt James

Last night on our local news, it was announced that, "A Saint Xavier Football Star Has Died In Panama City Beach, Florida."

 

Matt James, a St. Xavier high school student, died in Panama Beach, Florida during his Spring break vacation.  According to the most recent news, the 17-year old fell to his death from the third-story balcony of a Days Inn.

 

The Cincinnatian had been recruited by quite a few colleges and had finally decided to play at Notre Dame.

 

My heart goes out to Matt's family.  And yet, I feel that I would be remiss if I didn't caution all parents of high school and college kids who want to head to Florida for Spring break.  Falls from hotel balconies are not that uncommon.  In the time that I lived on the Gulf Coast of FL - about 7 years - I can remember at least 3 deaths and about 10 falls.  There were probably more.

 

Last week, Brandon Kohler, age 19 was killed when he fell off the 5th floor balcony of his room at Holiday Terrace Motel also in Panama City Beach.

 

Earlier in March,a South Carolina teen, Christopher Grasso, age 19, had a bad head injury from falling from the balcony of the Daytona Beach hotel where he stayed.

 

One article that I read about the Grasso incident here said, "Daytona Beach police Chief Mike Chitwood said it's an injury long associated with spring break and one that sometimes can't be prevented."

 

I would have to disagree with the Chief.  Most of the accidents and deaths happen to young men who have been drinking and who are horsing around on the balconies.  Those accidents could surely be prevented if the young people were encouraged to NOT drink and to NOT play around on the balconies and if there was some supervision.

 

When I lived in FL, many of the area hotels got together and decided that they would like to try to crack down on the number of young people partying or staying in the rooms as well as trying to make sure that they stayed in rooms without balconies and that they had at least one mature adult chaperone for every 8 students on Spring break.  That never worked out very well.  The tourist council cautioned them that what business they had from Spring break would vanish if they imposed too many rules.

 

Today, Cincinnati mourns the life of a 17-year old.  His parents will never get to see him play for Notre Dame, graduate from college, get married, have kids.

 

If you know someone heading off for Spring break, ask him/her to be careful.  And to stay away from balconies.